Lakeview Resort Hecla

Had high hopes for this vacation after having had such a great time here years ago. Oh how times have changed. The positives were the food at the restaurant was fantastic. However the main reason we came there for the thermal spa, to have a day of therapeutic hot/cold cycles. The hot tub and steam room were out of order and the cold plunge pool had been changed to a hot tub. No hot/cold cycles possible. The worst experience was in our room. While the washroom fixtures and linens were very clean, the floors were filthy. From walking around barefoot in the morning before putting socks on the bottoms of my feet were black. Even more troubling was learning that morning that our door wouldn’t latch. The door would open just from pushing on it. It was quite unsettling to discover we essentially slept in a room with the door open all night.

Where do I even start!!! To say we were severely disappointed with our recent stay at Hecla Resort is an understatement. The condition of this hotel does not reflect the $275 per night plus taxes we paid. The resort looked dated everywhere we went, both inside and out. Paint was peeling from bridges outside, weeds were growing along pathways, inside carpets and walls were dingy and scuffed everywhere, and even the stream by the restaurant was scummy. In our actual room, the wallpaper was peeling, and the walls had numerous large visible scuffs. One afternoon our shower and sinks all lost water while our son was mid-showering, which was crazy. The sofa bed OMG, it was completely unusable. Our kids couldn’t sleep on it, and even my husband and I couldn’t tolerate the springs and frame, so the entire family crammed into the one king bed each night. I had also called ahead to confirm that the in-room mini fridges had freezers and was told they did, but upon arrival, they did not, and our frozen snacks melted. The pool area was especially concerning. The liner was stained, the bottom had gravel and dirt you'd step on, and old goggles and bandages sat in the same spot from Friday through Monday when we left. The public pool bathroom's paper towel dispensers didn’t work all weekend, leaving paper towels stacked on the toilets for guests to grab. Clearly this entire pool area is not being cleaned regularly. One afternoon, they even ran out of pool towels for a couple of hours which just added to people in the pool area's frustration who we overheard also complaining. The worst part though was the pool’s beach entry was actually breaking apart in multiple spots. We saw adults step through the crumbling areas and reported it to maintenance, who never came. We ended up placing pool chairs over the broken spots ourselves to prevent injuries. On a positive note, all of the cleaning, restaurant, and maintenance staff we did interact with were very polite, hardworking, and clearly doing their best. It was obvious they are severely understaffed and stretched thin. The issues we experienced was not due to their efforts, but rather a lack of proper management, upkeep, and resources. We’ve stayed in budget hotels or one-star places before, but this was by far the worst hotel experience we’ve had in the past 20 years, and ironically, it was also the most expensive. Charging this much for such poor conditions is unacceptable, and we hope management addresses these issues for future travelers. Until some sort of upkeep is done, I'll never be back.

Overall our stay was very good. The Family Waterpark area was EXCELLENT. The water is warm, there is a water slide and a circular area with a strong current that the kids love going around and around in. In addition, the restaurant food selection, service and quality was very good. The only negative is that some of the areas of the resort are starting to show their age and need updating.

Unfortunately this hotel has gone quite a ways downhill since our last visit in 2021. The hotel is in serious need of repairs and TLC. The rooms were humid and damp feeling, despite it being a cool weekend when we stayed. Wifi only works in some areas of the hotel. Pillows in some rooms have been replaced but not others (flat in ours). TV in our room didn't work, stayed on for 30 minutes then flashed on and off. There were about 7 bugs in our shower when we arrived, after killing them they returned (likely through the drain) the next day after our shower. The hotel no longer offers rentals, so plan accordingly - we didn't bring bikes because during our last visit they offered many different rentals to choose from. The pool is in okay condition, the spa area definitely can use some love. As well, the front desk staff were not welcoming and unfriendly. Annoyed when we asked for a price breakdown of our room so that costs could be split among family. The room is way overpriced for what you get. The highlights - the spa staff and the restaurant staff!

Unfortunately that was all that was half way decent, went out there with some friends to go golfing and enjoy the weekend, pool closed at 10, opened at 9, restaurant and bar closed at 11, limited menu Saturday night, no cart service on golf course, had to carry golf bags back and forth to golf course, deadly

It was a horrible experience we were not impressed with the room and the food I wouldn’t recommend the place to anyone